Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1887-01-06
The Life Of a Diver.

There is always o peculiar concern
felt in the operations of diver, and
while esubjoined report OF a conver-
sation of one ofthese submarine work
men had with Boston Traveller re-
porter does not contain great deal
that is strikingly new it can hardly
fail to be generally interesting. Hav-
ing described the suit and explained
the system of feeding the diver with
air, he said: "a diver does not care
to 90 below thesurface more than 100
feet on ordinary occasions, although
there are sonle who can go to depth
OF $50 feet, but he does not care to
remain at this depth for any length
of time.
"Of course, there are many dangers
attendant upon divers life, but he
is apt to become Indifferent to them.
Until within 6. year or two it was sure
death for O man to have his air pump
give out or a break to occur in his
supply pipe; but recently valve has
been attached to the pipe, which pre-
vents the air within the dress from es-
Gaping il an accident occurs to the air
supply. Then again, some people
have an idea that divers are attacked
by fishes when in the water, but this
is not the case In the waters in this
vicinity we see but very few fish, but
in tropical waters we see plenty. If,
however, you will leave them alone
they will leave you alone. The shark
is very cowardly fish, and will sell
dom attack a man; but if one becomes
too familiar we let the air escape out
OF our sleeves, which have elastic
wristbands, and the kissing sound
which it makes invariably frightens
the fish away.
Many people have the idea that the
bottom of the ocean is one vast treas
ure bed, and the divers must reap
rich harvest when they go below.
There are undoubtedly many treas
ures in the sea, but no one knows
their location, and, therefore, the di-
vers seldom find anything OF any
value.
"Many divers carry on what is
called the 'wrecking' business; that's,
they purchase the hulks OF wrecks in
hope OF obtaining enough out OF them
to make considerable money. But
this is very speculative business, as,
in many instances, the wreck will be
broken to pieces by the sea before
ANYTHING can be taken from it. A
wrecker of Boston, a few years ago,
purchased for so, DOC large ocesn
steamer which had been wrecked, ard
in less than a week the vessel went
to peices, and he was $40, 900 out of
pocket.
another and most important part
OF n divers business is the rescuing OF
bodies ofthose who have been drowned.
Until within few years these bodies
were recovered, if at all, by means OF
graphing irons, and the bodies were
often thus badly mutilated, but nova
days a diver can 60 down and rescue
the body with no trouble at all The
bodies OF the drowned in wrecks are
generally in all manner OF positions,
and the diver often sees most horrible
things in these places. But it is not
only in the ocean that divers rescue
bodies, but in ponds and rivers, and
sometimes even wells. This branch of
the divers work is a most humane
one, and his endeavors should be rec
ognized
"But the greater part of the divers
work at present is what is termed the
scientific branches; that is, the repair
ing OF dams, building of seawalls or
breakwaters, the cleaning of steam
ships bottoms, the clearing clogged
propellers. By improvements in the
armor in recent years, the diver can
now do about all the work under
water that he can do on land. He
carries an electric light attached to
his breast, and by it he is enabled to
see without difficulty in those places
where he would be unable to work
we're 1t not for the light. Divers I'M
doubtly see many things which, ifthey
had training in Silence, would help the
world ofsienceto the solution OF many
problems which now vexes it; but the
diver becomes used to the sights, and
therefore sees nothing remarkable in
them. But many stories published in
the papers of the sights and expert
ences OF divers under water are OF the
widest character, and have in them
no shadow of truth, and" continued
the diver to whom the Traveller
man was talking, al have been in the
business some thirty-five years, and
have been in all kinds CT waters, and /
never so much as heard of fish at
lacking diver. But ii one should
take it into his head to do this, it
would be sad day for the diver, for a
fish developes surprising strength
when he is seen in his native element,
and could walk all around a man in
no time.
"When an accident happens to di-
ver's air supply he feels as il he was in
a wise, and as the flexible rubber suit
is not able to withstand the great
pressure while the helmet is, all the
blood in mans body is forced to his
head, and he has to have exceedingly
strong blood vessels in his head to be
able to withstand this pressure, and
i'll nine cases out of ten the mans
death is caused by the bursting of these
blood vessels before he can be pulled
to the surface.
But after all, in spite of the danger,
it is fascinating business. and /
wouldn't change it for any other"